Why do I assume that this press release was a direct response to my posts? Because on Thursday and Friday of last week, the days that the posts appear on MiddletownMike, the blog received several hits from township computers before the press release appeared sometime Friday afternoon. So being that this blog is so well read down at Town Hall, allow me to comment on a few of the points addressed in the press release.

The revenue loss stems primarily from reductions in state aid, permit fees and interest earned on bank deposits.

Middletown lost $180,000 in state aid this year and yes permit fees are down due to the economy. Construction jobs are down, people are out of work, parking at the train station is off 20% or more, and people just cannot afford to spend money at this time. Surely, this can’t add up to $2.4M. Could other sources include the $980k gap created by the sale of our cell tower revenues last year?

Now the mayor is leaving it up to the residents to figure out what services they want to do without. Is this what was meant when she campaigned in November on putting the taxpayer first? I thought that someone ran for public office to represent the people, not leave it up to the people to decide what to do. This is a prime example of a total lack of leadership. A real leader would look at the cold hard facts and decide what is best for the taxpayer, not leave it up to them to decide.

Middletown needs new way to generate revenue. The day of subsidizing programs with taxpayer dollars must end. Programs need to be self-supporting, like the Swim & Tennis Club that almost pays for itself. Or, the Arts Center that costs over $20k per month for utilities to control a moisture problem and operates at $300,000 loss per year. There are scientists that are trying to figure out what a black hole is, all they need to do is come to Middletown and look into facilities such as these and watch the money disappear before their eyes in disbelief.

50% of FY 2009’s budget has already been spent, how do the Middletown GOP plan on plugging a $2.4 million hole in the budget when half of it is already spent? This budget deficit should not have come as a suprise to anyone, this shortfall is the same amount that the township needed fill last year with one shot revenue gimmicks such as sell off the cell phone towers mentioned earlier.

Face it Middletown, the GOP refuses to make hard decisions and would rather blame others for their bad planning. We will be stuck with a 9.2% tax increase no matter what Mayor Pam or Deputy-dog Gerry says, just like last year.

Keep in mind come November, Democrats Patrick Short and Sean Byrnes have been warning everyone that this day was coming unless prudent steps were taken early on during budget meetings. It is unfortunate that there warning have again been ignored by the majority party in town.

There is much more to comment on, but I’ll leave those comments for another post.

I received the following email message from Sen Bob Menendez a short while ago welcoming Pennsylivania’s Arlen Specter into the Democratic party:

“The Democrats welcomed Sen. Arlen Specter into our party today. He gave one simple reason for switching parties:

“Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.”

The extreme right wing lost the American people in 2006 and 2008. Now, they’ve lost their hold on another moderate voice in the United States Senate.

This one’s a game-changer. Specter’s move immediately improves the prospects of President Obama’s bold change agenda.

But make no mistake – Republicans still have the votes they need to mount a filibuster. Sen. Specter’s decision will make our opponents even more desperate.

Norm Coleman will dig in his heels and fight even harder to deny us that filibuster-proof 60th seat.

Even when Coleman finally, finally has no more appeals and is forced to concede defeat, the Republicans will be plotting day and night to defeat our candidates in 2010. They know that beating just one Democratic incumbent would let them filibuster, delay, and deny the President’s agenda.

Today is a great day for all of us who want to help bring real, lasting change to this country….”

Note to Sen. Specter: I applauded your decision to join the Democratic Party, as the Republican party has shown there is no place in its ranks for a “moderate” Republican. As the nation leans more towards the left, neocon-conservative Republicans have taken control of all that is left of the party of Eisenhower, Goldwater and Reagan.

While the Republican party has dwindled and became known as the “Party Of No”, the Democratic ranks have swelled. Democats are the leaders of change that have and will, see this country through the current economic crisis and lead the way in the fight for healthcare, social security and tax reform.

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday he would switch to the Democratic party, presenting Democrats with a possible 60th vote and the power to break Senate filibusters as they try to advance the Obama administration’s new agenda.

In a statement issued about noon as the Capitol was digesting the stunning turn of events, Mr. Specter said he had concluded that his party had moved too far to the right, a fact demonstrated by the migration of 200,000 Pennsylvania Republicans to the Democratic Party.

With five weeks left until Primary Election Day, the Republican gubernatorial primary in New Jersey just kicked into high gear.

But are the rival campaigns — and GOP primary voters — overlooking the most salient data?

Is Jon Corzine — who just registered the highest-ever job disapproval ratings on record for a New Jersey Governor — nevertheless on a glide path to reelection?

Political New Jersey has been aflutter since last Wednesday, when the release of two new surveys — one by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, and one by Strategic Vision — focused attention on the threat posed to establishment Republican frontrunner Chris Christie by conservative challenger Steve Lonegan.

Quinnipiac has a long history of polling in New Jersey.

Quinnipiac, as it always has, told us how the poll was conducted, including telling us the size of the subsample of likely GOP voters.

Strategic Vision, by contrast, didn’t tell us what was the size of the subsample of GOP voters, or tell us whether the survey respondents were screened for a likelihood to vote.

Consequently, most campaign veterans — at least those who aren’t already on the Christie campaign payroll — focused on the Quinnipiac numbers.

That Quinnipiac survey indicated that the GOP gubernatorial primary was a lot tighter than most people had believed it to be.

According to that survey, Christie’s lead over Lonegan was a mere 9 points, at 46-37 percent, among the subsample of 486 likely GOP primary voters.

President Obama recorded a video message congratulating C-SPAN StudentCam contest winner Sawyer Bowman on his video “Cancer, It’s Personal.” The President was moved deeply by Sawyer’s message.

The President mentioned how he was personal touched by cancer, when his mother was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 53. The president said that the fight against cancer is one of the top priorities of his administration, as part of this years budget, $6 billion dollars has been allocated toward cancer research.

The following video was created by Woodland School sophomore Sawyer Bowman, Davidson NC. – Grand Prize winner in the 2009 C-SPAN StudentCam documentary contest. The video explores the issue of cancer research and issues a message to newly elected President Obama.

As the Grand Prize winner, Sawyer received $5,000 and his school was given $1,000 to spend on digital video equipment for his school.

After watching this powerful and moving video it’s easy to see why it was chosen as the winner. The video is a heartfelt tribute to his grandparents, who each died of cancer.